Silent Tears
by Hoshi-tachi
Summary: Yugi disappears, and comes back five years later...bearing news of an ancient evil! Some yaoi. Dead Story
1. Tears Fall

Welcome, one and all! Due to an unfortunate (and annoying) writer's block on "The Sentinels" I will be working on this fic for a while. Sorry to anyone who wanted me to update! (though not bloody likely)  
  
It's a horrible fic, but I wrote it on my palm pilot during math class, so sue me! Or not, I definitely prefer not.  
  
Thanks to Liz for beta reading!  
  
Disclaimer: I do not now, nor have I ever owned Yu-Gi-Oh!  
  
baka- idiot  
  
yakusoku- I promise  
  
*****  
  
You cry when you're in pain, right?  
  
Did you know that some kinds of tears hurt worse than others?  
  
The worst tears are those that come silently, that you cry when your very soul is in pain.  
  
Because when you weep silent tears, no one hears you but yourself.  
  
*****  
  
Yugi Motou wept as he fled, wept for the months of pain he had endured, the forgotten friendships, the lost hope.  
  
Things had been better for a while, after he had solved the puzzle. He'd had friends, a life worth living, someone to confide in and to protect him.  
  
'Why couldn't things have stayed that way?' Yugi asked the uncaring universe. Of course, it didn't answer. It never does.  
  
Yugi slowed as he reached the park. He turned onto a small path leading into the trees, leading to the one place he ever felt at peace. Whenever his heart ached, and his soul cried out for mercy, he could come here to be healed, however little.  
  
He'd been coming here a lot, lately.  
  
Pushing through the bushes surrounding his meadow, Yugi walked forward and collapsed into the soft grass. A sprinkling of wildflowers waved in the gentle breeze, bathing him with their perfume. The golden sunshine of the summer afternoon swept over the tiny sanctuary as Yugi cried.  
  
He remembered when he had been happy, and loved, especially after he had found his yami. His yami. Yugi laughed bitterly. "'I'll always be there for you, Yugi,'" he mocked. "'Yakusoku.'"  
  
'I never should have believed him.'  
  
For a while he thought he had loved Yami. That love had died, along with the rest of his emotions.  
  
He'd thought about running away, beginning a new life. One of his fondest dreams was of starting over. But he realized that no matter how far he went, he would never be free. It was only then that he considered ending it, all the pain, and fear.  
  
But that would kill Yami. No matter how much Yami hurt him, Yugi still couldn't bring himself to hurt him back. After all, Yami was everything he wasn't; strong, brave, handsome. And Yugi was a nothing, a pitiful weakling. Yugi wasn't worth loving.  
  
Weeping silent tears, the small teenager cried himself to sleep.  
  
The hours passed.  
  
*****  
  
The sun had sunk beneath the horizon when the air in the trees seemed to shiver, rippling like the waters of a wind-swept lake. The air split, and through the hole stepped a dark figure, soon joined by a second, and a third.  
  
"Is everyone ok?"  
  
"Yes, yes, we're all ok. Now can we ~go~ already?"  
  
"Alright, Akai, c'mon."  
  
The three cloaked figures walked quietly in the deserted park. Abruptly a woman's voice cut through the night.  
  
"Ow! Akai, watch where you're going, wouldya?"  
  
"Hey, it's not ~my~ fault I can't see in the dark! Whose bright idea was it to come here at night, anyway?"  
  
"Mine, actually, Akai," drawled a soft voice. "Now be quiet before someone hears you."  
  
"Yes, 'Kara. Um.isn't the reason we're here because someone's ~supposed~ to hear us?"  
  
"~One~ person, not the entire town, baka!"  
  
"Oh, shut up, Kasan. Besides, it's not like there's anyone out here to hear us ." His voice trailed away.  
  
"Akai? Akai, what is it?"  
  
"Okay, so maybe I was wrong ." Akai said, looking at the young boy curled up on the ground. 


	2. Tears Dry

Warnings and Disclaimer: Okay, I own my three mages, but the rest have to go home with someone else for the moment.  *looks at Yugi*  What?  I'm trying!  Those damn lawyers won't let you go!

A/N 1: As said in the summary, this story is only _temporarily_ off hold.  A couple people reviewed asking me to continue this, and when I found out they'd put this on their favorites list, I decided the least I could do was post what I had written when I stopped, though I doubt I'll actually _write_ more.  Since I was starting the ninth chapter when I realized my plot sucked, I'll probably finish that and quit.

* * * * *

The three strangers looked down at the small child.

"It's a kid."

The lone woman snorted.  "That's rather obvious, Akai.  'Kara, could you give us some light?"

Chikara pulled out something from beneath his cloak.  Closing his fist around it, he concentrated for a moment.  Then he opened his hand, revealing a small, glowing crystal.  "Do you have any idea how old he is?" he asked quietly.

"No clue.  Odd-looking, isn't he?"

"Akai, he is _not_!  He's cute!"

"Kasan, you're a girl," the redhead replied.  "You think anything smaller than you is cute.  Hell, you even thought those imps we ran in to out in the Badlands were cute."  Akai ducked as his teammate swung at his head irritably.  "I mean, there's _no_ way that hair's natural.  Think he uses a spell?"

"That's enough, both of you," Chikara cut in, gazing down at the figure on the ground.  "He's waking up."

* * * * *

Awakening came slowly for Yugi, as his sleep-fogged mind tried to remember just what he was doing lying on the ground.  He shifted slightly, and whimpered as cramped muscles began to scream.  Then memory flooded back, and he whimpered again.

"Are you alright?"

The hikari jerked in surprise, sitting up so fast he swayed from the sudden rush of blood to his brain.  A hand reached out and steadied him, and he looked up into a girl's kindly face.  "Wha-…?"

"Easy there, you look like you're gonna fall over if Kasan lets you go."  Yugi blinked as a gangly redhead settled awkwardly to the ground.  "'Course, if you happen to enjoy fainting, we won't stop you."

The girl sighed, using her free hand to tug a wisp of blonde hair away from her face.  "Akai, you're _not_ helping."

The boy had just opened his mouth to retort when Yugi at last found his voice.  "W-who are you?"

They both blinked, looking at the fourteen-year-old.  "Oh, right!" the blonde exclaimed, smiling sheepishly.  "I'm Kasan, that idiot sitting over there is Akai, and the guy propping up the tree behind you is Chikara."

Yugi whirled, eyes wide as he saw there was indeed a third person behind him.  Grey eyes watched him steadily, and their owner nodded his dark head in acknowledgement.  Yugi nodded back warily, and glanced back at the others.  "I'm Yugi.  It's… it's nice to meet you, I guess."

* * * * * 

Chikara frowned, watching the tiny boy.  He was, well, not completely relaxed, since he was after all talking to complete strangers, but the fact alone that he'd fallen asleep outside told the mage much of this world.  Such an innocent place, where one didn't have to worry about monsters hiding in every shadow…

A pity it would not last much longer.  Such innocence should have been preserved, cherished…

_Damn_ the Void for making this necessary!

He sighed inaudibly, stepping away from the tree.  "Yugi, why are you out here?  Shouldn't you be at home this time of the night?"

The boy tensed.  "I… I came out here during the day and fell asleep."

Chikara arched an eyebrow.  "Alone?  Is that really safe?"

Surprisingly, the question only sparked the slightest of smiles.  "Not really."

"So why aren't you at home?"  The mage hated to do this; it was obvious the child didn't want to answer his real question, but it felt important.  And as an empath, Chikara had learned to follow his feelings.

For a moment the boy stayed stubbornly silent, before his face abruptly crumbled.  "I- please, don't make me go back there.  I don't want to go back…"

Surprised, Kasan wrapped her arms around the child as he began to tremble, though his eyes stayed locked on Chikara.  She gazed up at her teammate, the silent question in her face plain.

"Do you think…?" Akai asked, obviously touched despite his practiced cynicism.

Sighing again, the oldest of the three joined his comrades on the ground.  He set the bit of quartz down in front of him, knowing the magic in it would linger long enough for their purposes.  There was a gasp from Yugi as he caught sight of the crystal, and Chikara couldn't help his smile.  Apparently magic was rare here.

"Why are you here?"  The three blinked at the unexpected question, sharp and suspicious, and Kasan let go of the boy.  There was a new wariness in his eyes, and he'd stopped shaking.

"We're here to warn you."  Chikara closed his eyes as he spoke of their home, their war, and of what was coming.  "We came to find… well, an ally, if you will."

Yugi snorted.  "No one will believe you.  You'll be lucky if all they do is toss you in a mental hospital."  He grimaced at their curious looks.  "Don't ask, they're not nice places.  Anyway, there are very few who still believe in magic, and they're dismissed as delusional."

"But _you_ believe in it," Chikara commented.

The boy just pointed at the still-glowing crystal, smirking, and the mage winced.  "Good point.  But if what you say is true, then we'll have to change our plans.  We need… an ambassador, someone to argue our case."

"The Council won't like that," Akai said, grinning.  "Let's do it.  What do you think?" he asked Yugi.

"What… you mean you want _me_ to be…?" the boy asked, shocked as the redhead nodded.

"You seem smart enough, and besides, I think Kasan's adopted you," he said, glancing over at the blonde, who had somehow managed to hover motherly over Yugi without even moving.  "She'd hurt us if we left you behind.  Provided you want to go, of course.  It… didn't seem like you wanted to stay."

Chikara smiled at the boy as he looked around at the three of them, trying to decide if they were serious.  It was only a minute before he broke out into an answering smile, and the mage knew he had a new teammate.

"All right, I'll do it."

* * * * *

A/N 2: *looks back at her first author's note and grimaces* Well, so much for not writing any more then I already had.  This is about twice the length of the original chapter, and has a _lot_ more characterization and plot development.

Review Responses:

**AngelsKitten**, **Liz**, **Black RoseL Me**, and **Dragon Princess**, I don't know that any of you are still reading this after so long with no updates, but thanks anyway.  **Sakurai No Yuki**, **Pika**** C./Yugi's girl**, thanks for getting me to post some more of this.


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